Top VIA PGH 2014 Moments
Opening Party: Vogue Pittsburgh + MikeQ
With the help of vogue pioneer MikeQ, Vogue Pittsburgh got the fest off to a lively start in front of a packed house at Cattivo.
Deafheaven at The Rex
Deafheaven slayed The Rex Theater with their unique brand of black metal that has put them at the forefront of their respective scene. Their theatrical performance was complimented by the festival’s unique staging.
ProjectileObjects
The collaborative duo of Lazercrunk‘s Todd Keebs and Neil Henke of Projectile Objects crafted unique stage setups consisting of lasers, projection mapping and a lot of other crazy shit that complimented the performances at The Rex Theater to a T.
VIA Conference
CMU’s Studio for Creative Inquiry was the perfect setting to learn about Ableton’s Max for Live and nerd out to some of the fest’s national and local participating artists.
Row House Cinema Screenings
Lawrenceville’s new Butler St. addition was a nice touch to VIA’s other nearby haps, providing an uber-convenient space to accommodate a diverse lineup of screenings.
The Locals
Local talent was sprinkled throughout the fest. Depth One primed the crowd for Wednesday’s opening party. Slices fit in perfectly with Thursday’s steez. Enforcery‘s showcase at Belvedere’s held its own. Code Orange sold out Cattivo for Friday night’s showcase. Chase Smith’s Hot Mass set revved everyone up for a long night of sweaty dancing. Troxum’s opening set on Saturday set the tone for a great night. PGH ain’t playin.
The Beam Falling at Friday’s Hot Mass
Fresh off a remodel, Hot Mass wasn’t quite ready for the VIA vibes, as Matrixxman‘s set rattled a beam loose. It’s all good, though. No attendees were hurt in the making of this banger of a party hosted by the Detour crew.
The Bubble
VIA continued its tradition of innovative and engaging installation pieces by integrating a bubble into Saturday night’s main event, complete with an Oculus-Rift experience so intriguing it was visited by the folks at The Creators Project.
The Union Trust Building
Always careful to consider first impressions, the folks at VIA chose a space whose grand architecture was perfectly juxtaposed against the vibe of downstairs’ gritty, raw, spacious basement.
Blue Hawaii
Described as a “dancier Bjork”, Blue Hawaii‘s return visit to Pittsburgh, after having opened for Purity Ring a few years ago, was as legit as the first time. They’re maturing as a duo quite nicely and turned up the energy for VIA’s mood.
The Round Corner Cantina’s Bar
In addition to having Red Bull and Magic Hat as sponsors, Saturday’s bar rocked a selection of offerings classy enough for the friend you reluctantly invited who only drinks top shelf liquor. Everything from sangria, to frozen tequila drinks with fresh cilantro, to entire bottles of champagne were served to keep the party poppin’ off.